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The number of the beast is HD3800

666 Million transistors make one RV670 GPU
Tuesday, 6 November 2007, 16:10

THE MARKETEERS OF GRAPHZILLA just got another reason to call Daamit "an unholy alliance". We managed to find out the number of transistors that create chip known under RV670 codename, and the number is quite interesting one.

According to estimates, ATI's R600 chip featured between 700 and 720 million trannies, manufactured in 80nm process over at TSMC. RV670 is just a vastly improved R600 chip, with more precise units, integrated Xilleon decoder, complete UVD video-decoding engine, and comes without a 1024-bit internal, 512-bit external memory controller.

The RV670 has 666 million transistors, manufactured on a 55nm process, once again at TSMC. This only goes to show just how transistor-intensive the 1024-bit RingBus controller was.

rv670-chip
666 the Number of the Beast.

When we talk about dies, R600 was around 420mm2 in size, whilethe RV670 is somewhere in the 180mm2 range. This is a massive difference, and proof of what more optimal design and manufacturing process achieved

While Nvidia placed more transistors in its G92 chip (putting the video engine in), ATI was able to cut down the number of transistors by a nice figure. Combine this with 80nm vs. 55nm process, and you can imagine just how much more ATI can lower the prices and offer greater value for the Yuletide shopping frenzy. µ

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Comments
Sounds good..

In the end it'll all come down to how it performs vs. the 8800GT. I hope it's good though, looking forward to the first benchmarks!

posted by : Matthew Paul, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
Trannies?

I'm usually appalled by the use of the English language on this site, but referring to transistors as "trannies" is the best thing ever.

posted by : Nicholas, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
In the end...

it all comes down to price:performance ratio. $150-$230 for near HD2900 XT performance with UVD & DX10.1 is an amazing value.

posted by : ShaidarHaran, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
512?

Are you sure it's 512 bit external bus? Rumours everywhere suggest its a 256 bus. Поздрав из Србије.

posted by : Борис, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
If they've taken care of the bugs,

The 512MB 3850 should be close to the 2900xt. I'm getting the feeling the 1GB 3870 should be around GTX levels and at least approaching G92 GTS levels. Why else would Nvidia bump up the 8800gt for a paper launch that essentially killed their effort to liquidate current G80 stock?

posted by : Josh, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
paper launch?

paper launch? I have one, and I'm not special. Also, if it can't play Crysis you get a zero in your price : performance ratio. I wish this was going to be fast to give NV some competition... I don't think it's gonna happen.

posted by : Bounty, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
Spawn of Satan old news

Unlike Inq to be two weeks behind ... http://news.mydrivers.com/1/93/93369.htm http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1233858

posted by : Adrian, 07 November 2007Complain about this comment
ARE THERE TOO MANY EIGHTS?

Arn't all THOSE EXTRA eight things just too old for nvidia? How about X series. or Light Bubbler? Signed:PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON DRASHEK M.D.

posted by : ULTIE_2, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
512?

It says "without a 1024-bit internal, 512-bit external memory controller." But what is it then??

posted by : Anthony, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
Can't wait

Looking forward to seeing what these cards can do when they are finally released. It looks like there will be lots of reasons for upgrading in the near future.

posted by : Mark, 06 November 2007Complain about this comment
memory controller

That is easily explained: Since DDR-RAM is used, 2 bits are transferred externally in the same time as 1 bit is transferred internally, where the DDR pattern is not applied. So the internal controller side has double the bit-width of the external side. And RV670 goes down from 1024bit/512bit to 512bit/256bit, so everything is just cut in half.

posted by : asdf, 07 November 2007Complain about this comment
Smells fishy

RV670 with full 64Vec5D (320SP) and 512bit external Bus? - Thats not a mainstreamchip, its a highend one. They probably fixed the UVD, got rid of some trannies and hopefully fixed the FSAA issue. If the 512bit bus is true and its not the common DDR marketing trick, than this is no mainstreamchip an the "V" in RV was just to confuse nvidia and intel about the R600 Refresh. Nvidia did go for 256bit with their Refresh probably because of that Information. All this Ringbus thing is actually to save some trannies because a Crossbar for Memory and also for Threads in that Dimension is actually more Transistor intensive. So if the Chip with pipes, UVD and that thingies is 600mio+ Trannies, why go for a X1900 style 512bit internal 256bit external Ringbus or a obsolete Memory Crossbar? Would be somewhat unproportional and a 512bit bus still gives you the Option to build a PCB with only 256bit bus and one highend with 512bit. There isn't much to rumour about this 1024bit thing. Performancewise it should be no worse but also no better than a conventional 512bit bus, its only 1024bit to handle the exchanging of Threads which nvidia does differently. So no gain there. But 512bit external is still awfully lot. Too much for a mainstream chippery though. But "ATI RV" and "Higend" don't go well in one Sentence, thats what questions me.

posted by : David Burkhardt, 07 November 2007Complain about this comment
Wrong Process Size on the G92

The G92 is 65nm not 80nm as indicated.

posted by : ViperJohn, 07 November 2007Complain about this comment
256, 512 or 1024 bit?

which is it?

posted by : bugareg, 07 November 2007Complain about this comment
lol

Nicholas you are dumb. Speeling, short forms, leet speek, don't matter.

posted by : lol, 07 November 2007Complain about this comment
Is it compatible with my mobo?

I have a K8N Neo4 MSI motherboard I wanna but the new Radeon card but I don't know if it's compatible with my motherbaord or not because it's Pcie v.2 and I can't seem to find what version mine is it only says PCIE X16 should I but the card?

posted by : Abdullah, 08 November 2007Complain about this comment
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